Reading / Comprehension - Have I got this Right?

[EngOZ]

I posted this question in another category, but I only got one reply, hopefully I will get a few more in order to make a better decision.

 

My 6.5 yo DD finished level 5 of Explode The Code, but we went off that in 2013 as it was getting pretty repetitive. I've been working with her to improve her reading and comprehension skill using SOTW, and some of the activities. I emphasis on asking questions, helping her to understand what she's reading and getting feedback, which I feel is most important. We sometimes reread the same story 1-2 times, or we borrow additional books for the library so that she can better understand the background and context.

 

My understanding is that at her age, she should just practice reading and work on improving her comprehension. However I somes get the nagging feeling that maybe we should be doing more.

 

Should I be doing other things to help her with her reading and comprehension?

 

Should we be looking at doing gramar?

 

Am I just being paranoid and expecting too much?

[skeeterbug]

Can you tell us what you are doing for language arts?

 

For grade one (I'm assuming your 6yo is grade one) I'd be doing writing, grammar, handwriting, phonics or reading instruction/practice, and start spelling if the child is reading well enough. For writing we use WWE which would be copywork and narration. Developing narration skills is excellent for comprehension, so what you are doing with SOTW is perfect, asking her to tell the story back or tell you something she remembers would be the beginnings of learning narration.

 

I always get the nagging feeling we should be doing more, in all subjects! ;)

[EngOZ]

What's WWE, I would like to explore it if it helps. We were doing Explode the Code, but we've stopped that and just doing SOTW.

 

I've been thinking about grammar, but I'm not sure what to use or how to start.

 

Perhaps I should continue with Phonics Pathway as we did half of the book already.

 

Heigh Ho

 

 

I like your idea of the weekly book report. Do you have some links for me to read up on what you're doing?

[skeeterbug]

WWE is Writing With Ease, published by Peace Hill Press who also do SOTW (and also sponsor these forums). A first grader would start with Level 1. There is an instructor text, The Complete Writer, which gives an overview of the program. (Your library might have this text.) Then there are workbooks for each level that you can use if you choose or you can make your own selections for copywork/narration.

[boscopup]

It sounds like she's doing fine. Did you say she's reading SOTW herself and answering the questions? Or are you reading it and she's answering the questions? If she's reading it herself, she sounds like she's definitely comprehending well above that of a typical 1st grader. ;) My oldest was like that, and I didn't do anything for "reading" except hand him books. Sometimes I'd casually ask what happened in the book, but most of the time I didn't worry about it. He has excellent comprehension. We also do WWE, and I did do grammar in 1st grade (though he could have waited until 2nd and just started with a 3rd grade program). My middle son will be doing FLL1 and WWE1 next year in 1st grade. He's not reading that well yet - we're *almost* to the "1st grade level" point in Phonic Pathways... one page left! His comprehension is excellent for what he can read... The other day, we were reading about Gus having a mint in his hand, and DS2 says, "Pigs don't have hands!" I had to think about that one for a minute and remember that oh yeah, Gus is a pig. :lol:

 

I don't do book reports, but I do have my kids do oral narrations. Again, it's not everything they read. I mostly use the narrations in history and science and sometimes Bible. Plus they're doing WWE, which would be literature passages.

 

But basically, with an advanced reader, I just consider that subject "done" and put our efforts into other subjects. He's been "reading to learn" since 1st grade, so I let him continue that.

[EngOZ]

Thanks for your feedback, boscopop and skeeterbug. Yes dd is reading through SOTW herself and WWE does sound like a good program. I don't consider her a weak reader, shes doing pretty well, but I'll like to add a bit of writing, as I think both narration and writing would greatly benefit her.

[boscopup]

Thanks for your feedback, boscopop and skeeterbug. Yes dd is reading through SOTW herself and WWE does sound like a good program. I don't consider her a weak reader, shes doing pretty well, but I'll like to add a bit of writing, as I think both narration and writing would greatly benefit her.

 

At that age, writing for DS was mostly copywork. We were doing AAS at the time, so there was also some dictation of simple phrases/sentences using his spelling words, which we did at the white board. If you want something original, you could have her draw a picture from what she read and label it or write a sentence (if she's ready - my son was not!). Or she can draw a picture and do a copywork sentence from what she's read.

 

She's clearly not a weak reader if she's reading SOTW on her own in 1st grade. ;)